Ford Thunderbird

Briefing

Jinx's Ford Thunderbird is a special edition of the car in Coral Pink. The car appears briefly in the film as she arrives at the Ice Palace.

Brought back from our glory years, reinterpreted for these modern times, Ford Thunderbird is a timeless classic begging for the open road. This modern rendering of the 1955-57 two-seat roadsters features a reverse-wedge body shape, round lamps, chrome "egg crate" grille design, and porthole windows. Among the highlights are Nudo leather-trimmed seats with six-way power adjust, leather-wrapped steering wheel and an AM/FM stereo with six-disc in-dash CD player and eight-speaker Audiophile Sound System.

Thunderbird maintains driving integrity with masterful handling capabilities. Front and rear suspension systems incorporate a Short- and Long-Arm design. Stabilizer bars ensure precision steering and quicker response time. All components are carefully tuned, resulting in a smooth ride experience. Ford will produce 700 of the James Bond edition Thunderbird vehicles for Spring 2003. The James Bond edition Thunderbirds will feature a white-trimmed steering wheel, shift knob and lower door panels. The white perforated leather seat inserts will be surrounded by black leather. Understated "007" badges are found on the instrument panel and floor mats, while the Thunderbird insignias are located on the seat backs. Side-by-side "Thunderbird" and "007" badges appear on the interior aluminum applique.

In 2000, Ford offered 200 special edition Thunderbird vehicles for sale through the exclusive Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. Those 200 cars, the most ever offered through Neiman Marcus, sold out in a record 2 hours and 15 minutes and are considered highly prized collectors items. "The Ford Thunderbird epitomizes the 'agent provocateur' personality - it is incredibly beautiful, alluring yet clever and tech-savvy," said Valentic. "The James Bond edition Thunderbird keeps a hot car sizzling."

Specification

History

The "starlet red" two-seater roadster takes its key styling cues from the classic Ford Thunderbirds of 1955-57, reflecting the value Ford places on its distinguished heritage. This modern interpretation of a well-loved American automotive icon will be back in production for the new Millennium.

"The Ford Thunderbird has fired the imagination of car enthusiasts for decades and generations," said Ford president and chief executive Jac Nasser. "This timeless classic is an important part of Ford Motor Company's heritage and, indeed, has become well known throughout the world - if not in the metal, then certainly on the cinema screen." "It is also just one example of the exciting and dynamic new cars we plan to introduce in the future," Nasser added.

Ever since the first production model was built in 1954, the Ford Thunderbird's appeal has spread from its American roots all over the world. For the best part of 42 years, the ever-evolving "T-Bird" has been adored by everyone from surfers to US presidents.
In 1961, the Ford Thunderbird caught the eye of the then newly-elected President of the United States, John F Kennedy, who demonstrated his passion for the car by including 50 of them in his inaugural procession. The new Ford Thunderbird Concept car simplifies design elements from the Ford Thunderbirds made between 1955-57 and 1961-62 into a contemporary form.

The Concept car owes its relaxed, confident stance to a negative-wedge design in which the front of the vehicle appears to be set slightly higher than the rear. It derives its sporty look from 18-inch, eight-spoke aluminium wheels and P245R50-18 tyres. Classic cues include the removable hard top with porthole windows, aluminium-finished chevrons, integrated bonnet scoop, round headlamps, tail-lights and fog lamps and the trademark Thunderbird badge.

The car's oval radiator grille-opening retains the original aluminium-finished "egg-crate" design, with large fog lamps set into the front bumper and a secondary grille-opening below them.
The trademark wrap-around windscreen is set at a 64-degree angle and surrounded by a wide band of chrome, as are the porthole windows. Chrome slash marks on the front quarter panels are cut into the sheet metal as a modern interpretation of the original 1954 car's prominent chevrons.

The balanced proportions of the Concept car are a throwback to the 1961-2 Ford Thunderbirds, with the doors, set toward the centre rather than the rear, and a crisp line running from headlamp to tail-light - reminiscent of one of the car's legendary tail fins.

The interior combines modern materials with the flair of the two-tone interiors of the past. Two black leather-wrapped bucket seats are stitched with a washboard-like pattern. The instrument panel features white dials with turquoise pointers. Black leather covers the upper instrument panel, steering wheel and gear lever, while the lower instrument panel and glove box are accented in red leather.

The aluminium-finished Thunderbird badge is prominently placed on the vehicle's nose, rear and across the front seat backs. The aluminium-finished Thunderbird script stretches across both rear quarter panels. As Ford Vice-President of Design J Mays explained: "The design of the Ford Thunderbird Concept reflects the attitude of a simpler time."

"This is an aspirational design," Mays added. "Simple shapes combined with timeless materials and textures convey a relaxed, confident look and a feel that is the true essence of the original Ford Thunderbird."

The Ford Thunderbird's legendary name originates from the Native American folklore of Arizona and New Mexico. According to myth, Thunderbird ruled the sky and was a divine helper of man. It's great flapping wings - invisible to mortals - created the winds and thunder, providing the desert rains which gave the Native Americans water to live on in the dry wilderness where fate had cast them.

The original Ford Thunderbird, introduced in 1954 as a '55 model, was a sporty two-seater. It's long cowl was set off by elegant round headlamps, an "egg-crate" radiator grille and a wraparound, aircraft-style windscreen. A scoop in the bonnet and a row of chrome-like vents in the bumpers hinted at the car's V-8 power.

In 1956, the famous porthole window was added to Ford Thunderbird's optional removable hard top.
The Ford Thunderbird shifted from being a two-seater to full-sized coupé amid the economic realities of later years. But, despite 42 years of design and size changes, the unique styling of the original two-seater has come to symbolize an era of American history.

As Ford Vice-President of Design J Mays explained: "The 1955 to 1957 Ford Thunderbirds are as symbolic of the times as rock and roll music and bobby socks. Today's Ford Thunderbird Concept salutes the original but also symbolizes turn-of-the-millennium automotive styling."

But Mays is adamant that the Ford Thunderbird Concept is also pointing toward the future. "It's not retro," insisted Mays. "While the Ford Thunderbird Concept is loaded with heritage cues, it is a decidedly modern machine. This hints at the direction we plan to take when we bring back the production car early in the next century."